Customer Reviews

War in the Woods: The Day the United States Began : July 9, 1755

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book really grabbed me. It started off fast with an Indian massacre of a family, and picked up speed all the way through to the end. I couldn't stop reading it. It's a real page turner. It really details the day to day life of a young man in service to the English Army sent to expel the French from Fort Duquesne. I now understand why the English Army did the things they did, even though now it seems stupid and self defeating. That campaign really turned Americans against the English. The scenes are so vivid that they make you feel as if you were there. The extra bonus is it's true. The author cites books, posters, and writings from the time. Many of the characters are real people, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Boone. This book would make a great movie. E. Peek

Americans are typically taught very little of the history of our country before the Revolutionary War. It's an amazing story. This book covers the events in southwestern Pennsylvania towards the end of the French and Indian wars. The history books record the basic facts but don't tell us "why?" We know that a young George Washington attacked a party of French surveyors, killing and capturing most of them. We know that shortly after, Washington was himself defeated by the French at Fort Necessity. Shortly after that, Washington played a part in a British army invasion aimed at Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburg). This book supplies the context and fills in the gaps in our understanding of what was going on at that time. The author supplies historical context and a great deal of detail from the point of view of an American teamster who takes part in the British invasion of the "Ohio Country." It is a great read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the French and Indian Wars. Even more highly recommended for anyone who has travelled southwestern Pennsylvania and has seen the historical sites and is looking for some context to explain them.

This really is a good way to learn a little bit of history. And it is a good novel. But other than the Title's assertion, this is not necessarily good history. But it really is quite entertaining.

A very gripping and well wriiten book by Mr.Tottle. Told as a story of one summer during Braddock's campaign against the French in the Ohio country, the book took on many personalities, giving different viewpoints of many characters in the book and their concerns of events transpiring at that time,the beginning of the French and Indian War. The book suggests the failure of Braddock's campaign was the spawn of the dissention between the American colonies and England. I have read many books on the subject, and after reading this one I would have too agree with the author's viewpoint. The book was wonderful from beginning to end. Well worth the time spent reading it.

Amazing just how much American History is not taught in schools. Right from the start, this book is a real page-turner. The story of Washington's and Braddock's adventures in the wilderness is truly exciting. I was so fascinated by the vivid descriptions of Braddock's Road and the battlefield that on my last vacation I visited Fort Wills (Cumberland, MD.) and followed Braddock's Road all the way to the Pittsburgh area battlefield. This is the first book I ever read about the French and Indian War. I found it so powerful that I have read at least six other books regarding this much forgotten war.

At the end of this book, the author states in a section titled "About this book and the author" that he tried for years to have this book published, but "without success." He goes on to also fault the National Council on the Humanities for failure to publish this book with taxpayer money. Finally, he tells us that he self-published the book. The reason he was unable to have this book published by others is simple: the book is just not very well written.
A good story is in there somewhere, but the author should have hired an editor, as much of the story rambles on for paragraphs were a few sentences would do, and for sentences were a few words would do (for example, on page 1, we are told the main character, James Henry, is tired of pulling parsnips from the garden on his father's farm, which is fine in order to set the stage for James mundane life; but do we really have to be told FIVE TIMES on the first page about those parsnips? And does the word "parsnips" have to appear 4 or 5 more times on page 2?). And considering that the book is based on one day in history, July 9, 1755, is it not strange that this day is not reached until 419 pages into the 540-page novel? This could have been a much better book had a competent editor worked it over and had the main event been reached sooner (considering the name of the book).
All is not lost, though, as the author does present a good deal of history in a manner that keeps the reader interested. But if one has read before of the history of the French and Indian War, then much of the charm of this book is lost, as there are better books available.
This book would be good for even the 7-9 grade level, but even at that level (in a "narrative" type of books) I would recommend other books, such as Allan Eckert's "Wilderness Empire." "Wilderness Empire" is simply better history and is much better written. "War in the Woods" does present more material on Braddock's defeat than "Wilderness Empire" however, as "Wilderness Empire" covers the entire French and Indian War whereas "War in the Woods" considers only Braddock's disastrous battle at the Monongahela River. (Note that "Wilderness Empire" is an historical narrative in that it does not introduce fictional characters, while "War in the Woods" is a novel with fictional characters, though based on historical truth.)
Even with these criticisms, the author is a decent storyteller and does succeed in making this novel a story of people instead of a stale story of dates and places.
In the end, this would be a good book to give to your youngster (well, not too young) to possibly get him/her interested in history (then again, I'm 42 , and I liked it to a degree). It's just too bad the writing and editing was not quite up to par, as this novel could have been much better. What I rate as a 2 or 3 could then have been a 4 or 5. I would suggest to this author to cut this book from 540 pages to 400, employ a good editor and listen to him, rewrite to the young adult level specifically, and try again. There is a very good book in there; it just needs some help in getting it out.